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The waters off the Poor Knights are a marine reserve with subtropical species

The Poor Knights Islands are a group of uninhabited islands off the east coast of the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. They are located 50 kilometres to the northeast of Whangarei, and lie 22 kilometres offshore half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett.

The chain consists of two large islands (Aorangi and Tawhiti Rahi) with a group of smaller islets between the two, the largest of which is called Motu Kapiti. The name Tawhiti Rahi is also used as a name for the entire chain by Māori. The islands are the eroded remnants of a 4 million year old rhyolitic volcano. The total area of the chain is 24 km².

The islands are protected as a nature reserve and a permit is required to land or tie boats up. Permits are usually granted only for scientific research.

The waters for 800 metres around the islands are a marine reserve in which it is prohibited to disturb marine life or remove rocks or shells. No commercial fishing is permitted within one nautical mile (1,852 metres) and long lining is the only commercial fishing permitted between one and three nautical miles. The islands are a popular diving location due to the variety of marine fauna found there, and are popular also for their intriguing landforms, which include natural arches and caves.

A study examined the response of snapper (Pagrus auratus) to the establishment of a no-take reserve around the Poor Knights Islands. The Poor Knights and 2 reference locations, Cape Brett and the Mokohinau Islands, were sampled biannually for 4 years using baited underwater video (BUV). Following full marine reserve status at the Poor Knights in October 1998, snapper showed significant increases in abundance and biomass relative to fished control locations. This was particularly apparent for large snapper (>270 mm), whose numbers increased rapidly to levels 7.4 times higher in the final survey compared to the initial pre-reserve survey, and total snapper biomass increased by 818%. There was no significant increase in the abundance, biomass or size of snapper at the reference locations over this time. There was a strong seasonal trend in snapper abundance, with higher numbers in autumn (March/April) compared to spring (September/October). The daily batch fecundity was 11 to 18 times higher at the Poor Knights compared to the reference locations.

Once fishing ceased in previously partially protected areas, a rapid recovery of snapper ensued, suggesting that partial fishing regulations are ineffective for protecting targeted species. The speed of increase in snapper density resulted from the immigration of adult fish into the reserve, rather than from within-reserve recruitment.

A notable native plant of the islands is the spectacularly-flowering Poor Knights lily.

The origin of the name is said to derive from the islands' apparent resemblance to Poor Knight's Pudding, a bread-based dish popular at the time of discovery by Europeans.

• 'Geology – New Zealand's Geological History', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 2006-09-26. Accessed 2007-04-15.
• The Poor Knights and The Poor Squires (The Pinnacles). Accessed 2007-09-14.
• Denny, CM, Willis, TJ and Babcock, RC (2004) Rapid recolonisation of snapper Pagrus auratus: Sparidae within an offshore island marine reserve after implementation of no-take status Marine Ecology Progress Series 272: 183–190

• 'Department Of Conservation, New Zealand'

• Aorangi Island

Coordinates: 35°30′S, 174°45′E